On the secretary of state selection process, bipartisanship and more

No one I know is going to miss 2020.

Pandemic, politics, division and contention have combined to get on everyone’s nerves, even if they have survived healthy. The next year promises to be better, with the eventual vaccination of the population and a slow return to normal, if only people will be patient enough to wait for it to happen.

Reflecting back on the past year, however, there seem to be a number of things that need to be noted:

• The unanimous reelection of Secretary of State Bill Gardner to a record 23rd term should, and I hope will, remind people, especially the extreme partisans of both parties, that some jobs require evenhanded, nonpartisan administration for the political and governmental system to retain credibility.

Just two years earlier, Gardner won his 22nd term by only a couple of votes in the face of a challenge by Colin Van Ostern, a partisan Democrat. While Van Ostern had every right to run, had he defeated Gardner, the new Republican majorities in both houses of the Legislature undoubtedly would have replaced him with a partisan GOP candidate in 2020, and the office, long known for its impartial administration, would have been transformed into a partisan trophy for the winning party to claim.

• With every election, a number of officeholders of note retired from office voluntarily, and many do so involuntarily.

Nationally, the exit of Lamar Alexander of Kentucky from the U.S. Senate is worthy of note. Alexander, a former governor, university president and businessman, became known here in New Hampshire as he ran for president a couple of times, in a black and red checkered shirt. Alexander impressed many with his intelligence, practicality and decency, and he will be missed in an elected body not always known for those qualities.

In New Hampshire, the retirement of Russell Prescott from the Executive Council similarly marks the departure of a pleasant and decent man who never forgot his principles or his philosophy, but also never forgot his manners. Formerly a very conservative state senator, Prescott has become friends with many from all points of view because of his measured style in office.

There are scores of others each year who leave office at all levels with grace and style, and we should be sure to take time to thank them all.

• In Washington, the bipartisan group of members of Congress from both houses who came together to try to get something done — including both of New Hampshire’s senators, Shaheen and Hassan — was impressive for several reasons.

First, the group did not include the leadership of either party who eventually had to run fast to get to the head of the parade. Second, the group built on a group that has been meeting for some time and recognizes that the American people expect them to do something besides bicker.

Whether they will be successful in getting another relief package passed is not clear at this writing, but the existence of a group willing to bypass leadership bodes well for the next Congress.

• Congress, in addressing the emergency presented by the pandemic, passed record spending packages to save people from disaster. This undoubtedly was appropriate, but also resulted in over a $3 trillion deficit.

Going forward, spending proposals will have to be wedded to a systematic schedule for deficit reduction in future budgets if any kind of fiscal sanity is to be restored. Hard choices will have to be made, and if the economy revives when the pandemic is over, as we all hope it will, additional revenue sources will have to be found. No longer can the country afford deficits such as those which existed prior to the pandemic, under the Trump administration with its irresponsible tax cuts.

In the near term, all of us lucky enough to still have jobs and security, need to do things to help our state and economy. Here are a few: Order takeout from restaurants at least once a week; tip well; consider charitable donations in amounts larger than in the past; and patronize safe, outdoor sports or recreational facilities, which need to remain solvent.

Finally, until the vaccine comes, be smart. Stay home as much as you can, wear a mask (it is not a political statement), socially distance and wash your hands. Get the vaccine when it is offered.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

Brad Cook is a Manchester attorney. The views expressed in this column are his own. He can be reached at bradfordcook01@gmail.com.